Philosophy
The Metaphysics of Fictional Objects and Nonexistent Entities
Quick fact
Philosophers have long argued about the 'ontological status' of fictional creatures like Sherlock Holmes and mythological gods like Zeus—whether they exist in some sense, are merely fictions, or are a complex blend of reality and imagination. The debate remains unresolved, and the puzzle even connects to logical paradoxes like the problem of 'Vulcan', a planet once believed to exist but later proven not to.
Why this is interesting
When you say 'Sherlock Holmes lives at 221B Baker Street,' you seem to be talking about someone real, but he never existed. How can a sentence about a fictional character be meaningful—and sometimes even true?